#classical period

Terracotta plaque with Odysseus returning to Penelope

Greek (Melian), c. 460-450 B.C.

@Louvre Museum, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons / Inv. Louvre AGER Bj 2152.

(English / Español / Italiano)

It resembles a contemporary installation: an oxidised bronze cone, two 'wings' that cut through space, a golden crown of leaves. It is a pilos helmet with a crest holder: light and metal, power and beauty in the same profile.

Between the 4th and 3rd centuries BC, between late classicism and the Hellenistic period, Greek armour evolved towards lighter and more spectacular forms. The pilos (conical cap) replaced more cumbersome models; the vertical crest holder allowed for monumental crests or insignia that amplified the warrior's presence in parades and battle. The gold crown with plant motifs evoked honours and sacred offerings: virtue, rank and memory coexisted in a single object.

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El casco con alas, siglos IV-III a. C. Musée du Louvre, Paris – Département des Antiquités Grecques

Parece una instalación contemporánea: un cono de bronce oxidado, dos «alas» que atraviesan el espacio, una corona de hojas doradas. Es un casco pilos con porta-cimera: luz y metal, poder y belleza en un mismo perfil.

Entre los siglos IV y III a. C., entre el clasicismo tardío y la época helenística, el armamento griego evoluciona hacia formas más ligeras y espectaculares. El pilos (casco cónico) sustituye a los modelos más voluminosos; el porta-cimera vertical permite crestas monumentales o insignias que amplifican la presencia del guerrero en desfiles y batallas. La corona de oro con láminas vegetales evoca premios honoríficos y ofrendas sagradas: en un solo objeto conviven la virtud, el rango y la memoria.

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L'elmo con le ali, IV - III sec. a.C. Musée du Louvre, Paris – Département des Antiquités Grecques

Sembra un’installazione contemporanea: un cono di bronzo ossidato, due “ali” che fendono lo spazio, una corona d’oro a foglie. È un elmo a pilos con porta-cimiero: luce e metallo, potere e bellezza nello stesso profilo.

Fra IV–III sec. a.C., tra tardo classicismo ed età ellenistica, l’armamento greco evolve verso forme più leggere e scenografiche. Il pilos (calotta conica) sostituisce modelli più ingombranti; il porta-cimiero verticale permette creste monumentali o insegne che amplificano la presenza del guerriero in parate e battaglia. La corona d’oro a lamine vegetali richiama premi onorifici e offerte sacre: in un solo oggetto convivono virtù, rango e memoria.

Ancient Arms and Armor

at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Classical Period of music - an era that lasted from approximately 1730 to 1820, although variations on it extended well into the middle of the 19th century.

Classical period composers and performers came from Europe, but it did not take long for the music to find its way to European colonies around the globe.

Many composers and musicians were based in the Austrian capital of Vienna, which was the musical center of Europe during the time period.

Musicologists and casual music fans use the general term "classical music" to describe the work of composers ranging from J.S. Bach to Igor Stravinsky to Philip Glass. The Classical period, though, is a specific era in music history that spanned much of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Characteristics of Classical Period Music

Important forms of the Classical period include the string quartet, opera (including opera buffa and opera seria), trio sonata, symphony (traditionally written in sonata form), string quartet, and solo concertos for a variety of instruments. These musical forms have several elements in common.

Simplicity: Compared to the Baroque period music that preceded it, Classical period music places greater emphasis on simplicity, tonal harmony, single-line melodies, and enlarged ensembles. Unlike the extravagant melodies and ornamentations of high Baroque music, the new style of music framed somewhat simple melodies and buttressed them with large ensembles. Melodies could be appropriated from folk music and arranged to produce musical development with various modulations in tonality, tempo, and dynamics. This trend would only expand during the Romantic period, which followed the Classical era.

Classicism: The beginning and middle of the eighteenth century showed a surge in a stylistic movement known as Classicism, whose adherents revered Classical antiquity, including the works of early fifth-century Greek artists and the architecture of Classical Greece. Admiration for the art of Classical antiquity manifested in the musical taste of the eighteenth-century Classical era. The standard musical forms that dominated the musical compositions of the Classical period aimed to embrace order, simplicity, strength, and a celebration of humanity—all of which aligned with a reverence for Classical Greece.

Increased accessibility: During the Classical period, many composers still worked in the courts of aristocrats, but public concerts were commonplace throughout Europe, which allowed members of the middle classes to partake in the musical forms. This made Classical era music somewhat more egalitarian than much of Baroque music, which was often presented as chamber music exclusively for upper-class audiences.

Instruments of the Classical Period

~ Scaraboid gem/intaglio with griffin (set in modern gold loop).

Culture: Greek

Period: Classical

Date: 425–400 B.C.